Compare Prices : Olympus E-30 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: The Olympus E-30 stacks up well against other digital SLRs in the $1,300 price range. Derrick Story finds that the E-30's creative features are plus, and it's a SLR with professional features at a reasonable price.

Pros: Real-time focusing in Live View mode ; support for multiple aspect ratios ; image stabilization in camera body ; unique features such as Multiple Exposure and Digital Leveler ; 98 percent field of view through optical viewfinder ; exposure bracketing ...

Cons: No movie mode ; battery charger requires cord instead of plugging directly into wall outlet

Verdict: The E-30's Art Filters and Multiple Exposure functions are two unique features that I hadn't seen before in an SLR. Both take advantage of Live View technology that enables you to compose and capture images via the LCD instead of the optical viewfinder

Pros: Very nice photo quality and performance ; extensively customizable ; flip-and-twist LCD ; Art Filters are fun

Cons: Poor My Mode custom settings implementation ; without more control, Art Filters will remain a novelty for this class of camera

Verdict: A great general-purpose dSLR, the Olympus E-30 offers an attractive alternative for advanced shooters not yet wedded to a system.

Review summary: The E-30 ($1299, body only) is a midrange digital SLR that fits between the E-520 and the flagship E-3 in Olympus' line-up. The easiest way to describe the E-30 is this: take the E-3, subtract the weather-sealing, then add a higher resolution sensor, ...

Pros: Very good photo quality (though see below) ; Well built, easy to hold body ; Sensor-shift image stabilization ; Live view on a flip-out, rotating 2.7" LCD display ; screen easy to see outdoors ; Full manual controls, and then some ; RAW format ...

Cons: A little too expensive ; Camera clips highlights more often than it should ; images are a bit noisier than the best cameras in this class ; Viewfinder smaller than most of competition ; Contrast detect AF in live view is very slow, and only supports a ...

Verdict: If you're like me, you might be thinking "gee, why buy the E-3 when you can get the nearly equivalent E-30 for a few hundred less?". Unless you need the more durable body and larger viewfinder of the E-3, it seems to be that you could do quite well ...

Review summary: Stuck in the middle: Matt Grayson looks at the Olympus E-30 prosumer DSLR.

Pros: Super fast autofocus, Good noise control, Nice landscape results, Good build quality, 5EV exposure compensation, 5EV image stabiliser, Improved autofocus in live view, Expanded metering system

Cons: Muted colours on colour chart, Slight cast in portrait mode, Purple fringing in high contrast areas

Verdict: Designed on the E-3, the E-30 sits between its bigger brother and the E-520. However despite its obvious connections in styling, it's still been released with the aim of standing alone from its brethren

Review summary: Designed for photo enthusiasts and amateur photographers who want a more sophisticated camera, the new Olympus E-30 is the first in a series of 'double-digit' models that will slot in between the 'three-digit' entry-level models and the professional ...

Verdict: Pictures taken with the test camera were sharp and colourful, with a wider dynamic range than we expected from a high-resolution Four Thirds System DSLR camera. In bright sunlight, both highlight and shadow detail were recorded with minimal blow-out ...